Hi all. D. L. Croisette here. Popping in with a thanks for reading and a warning. Usually my stories are slow to heat up but as you may have guessed by reading the first two chapters, Sophie and Max are set to give in to their desires.  Hopefully there's some good character insights here but this chapter and the next contain adult content.

As the sun sank, the blue sky had morphed from azure to twilight to navy. Sophie stood at the edge of the lawn with the other partygoers and waited for the show to start. Unlike from her apartment in Washington, or where she grew up in New York, out here on the outskirts of Bridgetown, one could see stars at night. Tiny diamonds dotting the sky.

The view reminded her of a fairy-tale her mother had read to her as a child. The story of Gyeonu and Jiknyeo who loved each other but lived on opposite sides of the universe. Jikneyo first saw Gyeone when she looked out the window and saw him in the Milky Way, but the King didn't approve of their union and separated them in the sky. Like the lovers, Sophie sometimes wished once a year the birds would create a bridge so she could meet the man she loved again. What she wouldn't give for one more hug.

Sophie rubbed her arms. The slight buzz she'd kept going most of the afternoon was beginning to wear off. She considered going inside for another when a tall glass appeared before her. Attached to a manly hand. Attached to a forearm with ridges and fine hairs. A strong shoulder. A familiar face outlined against the star-lit sky.

Max.

The blood pumping organ inside her betrayed her thoughts, accelerating at the sight of him.

The low rumble of his voice eliminated out of the murky darkness. "Thought you might like a refill."

"Thanks." As she took the glass, her fingers brushed against his and electricity trickled up her arm, a reminder her dry spell had gone on too long. Typically, she'd scratch the itch of male companionship by heading to a bar on 18th Street in the city. Since the wedding she'd had a drink or two at a few of her favourite spots, but left early and always alone.

Out on the darkened lawn, something popped and Sophie jumped.

"Only a firework." Max whispered in her ear.

A streak of light flared up, a thin track of stardust following the trail. There was a moment of silence and then a flash as the ball exploded into a thousand shimmering balls, desperate to return to earth. Red, white, and blue paraded in front of them in a grand display of pride. People clapped and cheered.

Max whistled so loudly Sophie had to cover her ears.

"Sorry." His hand landed on the small of her back, like a fiery brand saying you're mine. And if she had any say, tonight she definitely would be.

Eyes to the sky, she leaned into the warmth of him, her arm settling into the groove in the center of his chest, their cheeks so close it would take the smallest movement to touch. Through the thin cotton of her dress, goosebumps formed as his hand glided across her waist and locked on to her hipbone. Above, sparklers of white filled the sky and his thumb slowly grazed over her hip, like it had during their dance at the wedding.

Back and forth.

One tender stroke after another.

Back and forth.

Steady pressure, like a promise.

Back and forth.

I've got you.

Certainly that wasn't what his caress meant, but she indulged in the fantasy. This was always the best part. Okay, not the best. Sex could be amazing, and she was willing to bet, no find out, just how good the physical would be with Max. But this, the anticipation building inside her chest, the moments before anything happened, when everything was a possibility, this sensation of the barest of his touches before she discovered his habit that would eventually annoy her, this was delicious.

To his credit, Max didn't ruin the moment. Didn't whisper provocative words meant to move them to the next stage, didn't suck on her neck or raise his hand higher or lower to cop a feel, didn't push. No, he was a complete gentleman.

The only hint of his desire, the tiny titillation of his thumb gliding back and forth like a hand pump building pressure. She shifted, rubbing her thighs together in a totally unsatisfactory attempt at some relief.

"You okay?" His words were hot against her neck and the thumb paused.

She repressed a moan. Please, don't stop her body cried out. "Yup. It's just so beautiful."

"Absolutely." Sophie wasn't positive, but she thought she could feel him staring at her and not the cavalcade of lights bursting in the night sky. His thumb took another languid sweep, and she had to close her eyes to concentrate on standing. Max was good at this. He had her wet and wanting, fully clothed and standing in a field with her friends. All with a simple, delicate touch.

What would he do when they were alone, and he'd removed her clothes? She had an answer for her part, having spent the last month running scenarios in her bed night after night. Everything from slowly stripping off the uniform he'd worn to the wedding to taking him in her mouth fully clothed in the elevator at the hotel.

A red glare slashed across his face from another firework when Sophie looked at him. He was so young. Too young? She knew Finn had been in the Navy for a few years before Max joined, but had no idea how old Max was. Finn regarded Max as a little brother, having taken him under his wing when Max became one of his crew. Maybe he was twenty-four or twenty-five?

Four or five years' difference meant when they hooked up, it wouldn't be cradle robbing.

Max's eyes flickered between the sky and her twice before settling on her at last. The flash that met her gaze had nothing to do with the bombs bursting in the air above them, and her pulse quickened. The corner of his mouth twitched, and Sophie held her breath. His lips morphed into the shy smile again and she knew what she hoped might happen tonight was soon to be a reality.

Without a word, she laced her fingers in his and shrank away from the crowd. Solar lights lit the pathway back to the house, and the oohs and ah's of the other partygoers faded with each step. Hot breath beat against her neck as she tugged on the patio door and his chest brushed against hers as a muscular arm jutted out and helper her slide the glass along. They slipped inside, the lake house silent as they crept through the kitchen. She abandoned her drink on the counter, skipped through the marble tiled foyer and bounced up the spiral staircase. Max hot on her trail.

"Your room or mine?" Max's whisper lacked the confidence from earlier.

Despite the impulsive act, Sophie needed to be in control and didn't want Max in her bed in the morning. It was easier if she left. With her room overlooking the tennis courts, she guessed they would get to his first. "Yours. It's closer."

Her assumption proved right as he wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her into the first room on the right. He didn't turn on the lights and although she longed to see all of him; she didn't need his soulful stare to stop her from devouring him. Instead, she twisted in his arms and attached herself to the lips she'd stared at all day.

His thumb drew circles on the small of her back as his mouth moved against hers. Not a ferocious kiss to let off the steam that had been building between them all afternoon, but a soft caress that made her knees go weak. His tongue swept across her lips, asking for entrance, and she gladly opened up for him. He tasted of hops and salt, a pleasant change from her usual red wine drinking paramours. Her hands ran along his bicep, over the shoulder of his shirt and under the collar. With fingers interlaced on the back of his neck, she pulled him closer.

A hard surface hit her back, followed by another covered her front as Max sandwiched her between the bedroom wall and his body. Hard lines stamped into her, and when his leg nestled between hers, his arousal pressed into her thigh. A long, hot spear, full of promise. Hands and lips became more urgent as he rolled against her hips, and she melted like butter in a sizzling frying pan.

He dared to end the kiss, and she moaned at the loss of him, then gasped as like a homing bird he found her favourite spot, lips sucking at her neck. Perhaps encouraged by her response, he lavished the zone, sending trickles, then waterfalls, of arousal directly to her core.

Sophie grasped for a sense of sanity, refusing to get completely lost in Max. She'd indulge, swim in the lake of lust, but she couldn't give in completely. Only one man got that privilege. "Tell me you have condoms in here."

The slight hesitation had Sophie asking herself if she could last until they made it to her room. Responsible, she had to be responsible. This man travelled the world, probably had a woman in every port. Protection was essential tonight. In every way.

His forehead rested on her shoulder, his heaving chest scraping over hers. "Um. Yeah." He didn't move.

"Shall we get one?"

He dragged in a lungful of air and held it. "Right." He backed away, his leg shifted from between hers and the gap between them increased. A strange, almost fear like sensation crawled over her skin and she caught one of his hands as it released her hips and entwined their fingers. Now that they were touching again, the icky feeling evaporated like steam from a hot cup of tea.

Their feet hardly made a sound as he led them across the room to where a duffle bag sat on the dresser. One-handed, he fished around in the pocket and brought out a square package that glinted in the moonlight. "I only have the one."

"Oh." Sophie hoped she covered her disappointment. "Better than nothing."

He pulled her close, tugging their joined hands behind her back, and kissed her cheek. "There are other things we can do, too."

Right. The excitement stirring in her abdomen wavered. A blow job was always on the table, but she'd hoped for more fun and games first. Her free hand found the top button of his shorts and moved to unfasten it, but he put a halt to her actions, covering her hand with his. "You first."

Heat bloomed on her cheeks, and she found herself glad of the dark. He kissed her neck again, honing in on the spot while slipping a finger under the thin strap of her sundress and gliding it over her shoulder. He trailed kisses across her clavicle while removing the other strap. The lightweight material drooped without the supporting straps and her hand flew to hold the top of her dress up. Max caught it and kissed each finger as he lifted them, then tugged on the material. It folded like an omelette over her stomach, revealing her bare chest. "No bra?"

She laughed. "With breasts this small, there's usually no point."

The clock by the bedstand illuminated Max's face as he scrutinised her naked torso. He took so long she had another urge to cover herself up, but at the last moment, his gaze returned to her and even in the darkness, she could sense his desire. "They're perfect." He rubbed the edge of her dress between his forefinger and thumb. "May I?"

The gruffness of his tone caused her throat to tighten and all she could do was nod her consent. With a featherlight touch, he cupped a breast and proceeded to circle her nipple with his thumb. She shuddered at the contact. "Here." He backed her up until the back of her legs hit the edge of his bed. Arm secure around her, he laid her down on the silky comforter and pressed a kiss on her lips. Before she could find his hand put it back on her chest, his thumb resumed its delicate strokes.

She was only half naked, and he'd barely touched her, yet Sophie could feel the rising weight of an oncoming orgasm.